YACHT RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19196, 9 December 1925, Page 15

YACHT RACING.

THE SANDERS CUP TRIALS. AVALON'S EASY VICTORY. NEXT RACE ON SATURDAY. BY SPINDRIFT. The new boat Avalon, which scored an easy victory last Saturday iti the first of the trial races to decido the Auckland challenger for the Sanders Memorial Cup, was well handled by J. Patrick. The issue was never in doubt after the Avalon had rounded the Sandspit beacon. Joan led to this mark, her crew being smart with the spinnaker, but when sheets were flattened Avalon outsailed her rivals and won by over 6m from Queen March. Rona was very disappointing and some time elapsed before she was able to head Rangi, Joan and Dulcie. Rona's mainsail was badly set up which did not give her skipper, J. McWhirter, an opportunity of doing much with her. She turned tho tables on Avalon in the Akarana Club's race for the Jellicoe class later in the day During the interval her mainsail was adjusted and she took tho lead shortly after the start and maintained it to the finish. Neither Queen March nor Rona was able to leg it with Avalon in the race, but strangely enough both boats beat her in tho club event. On rounding the Resolution buoy in this race Rona was loading Avalon with Queen March third. All were very close and the issue was always in doubt. Rona continued to lead Avalon while Queen March was slowly gaining on the other two boats. It was a close haul from the eastern tide deflector to the finishing line and Rona and Avalon had to put in a short board to fetch tho mark. Queen March, however, laid right through and although she caught and passed Avalon she was unable to head Rona which beat her in by the narrow margin of 7s. Avalon was another 83 further astern. The second trial will be sailed on Saturday afternoon. Cruise oi the Ruamano. The new launch Ruamano, owned by Mr. A. H. Court, made an extended cruise last week-end. She left Auckland on Friday and spent the night at Kawau. Next day she proceeded to the Moko Hinau Islands, where her crew landed a good haul of schnapper and several hapuku. On Sunday a course was shaped for Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier which was reached after a rough trip across the gulf. After a stay at Fitzroy the Ruamano fished under Flat Island but met with no success. The same afternoon she came across to Kawau and later on returned to Auckknd. The weather throughout the trip was very rough but the Ruamano behaved splendidly and her engines ran without a hitch. " Died at Wellington, on November 24, 1925, through lack of support, the Wellington Yacht and Motor-boat Association, at the age of 18 years." The above appeared in the yachting column of the Wellington Evening Post last week, and the announcement will, 110 doubt, create consternation in the ranks of boating men in most of the centres. Tho writer of the paragraph ("Mainsail") goes on to say that the Wellington Yacht and Motorboat Association is no more. This, in brief, has been brought about through dissension between the parent body and the Heretaunga Boating Club. Yachtsmen with the interests of tho sport at heart will regret that it was found necessary to wind up the association. Co-opera-tion between clubs is vitally necessary for the good of yachting, as in other sports (says "Mainsail"), and it is disheartening to read accounts of the progress of yachting in other centres and then to think of the state of affairs in Wellington. The whole of the responsibility of conducting the Sanders Cup trials will now fall upon the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

Point Chevalier Regatta. The Point Chevalier Sailing Club will hold its second annual regatta on Saturday. All classes of yachts up to the 26footers will be catered for. A launch race will also be held, and in addition the open Sea Scouts' sailing championship will be decided. Given fine weather the regatta should be very successful, and as the courses are laid off the clubhouse, the public will have a splendid opportunity of witnessing the racing. Entries for all events will close to-day. A new 30ft. by Bft, V- bottom launch has just been completed by Mr. R. Laing for Mr. C. B. Walrond, of Heme Bay. She is equipped with a six-cylinder Scripps engine, which is expected to give her a speed of 15 knots. The new boat will take the water 011 Saturday and will be. known as My Girl. lorangi left Auckland early on Saturday with tho intention of cleaning, but finding tho weather unsuitable, her crew decided to cruise round Waiheko instead. A fairly big sea was running outside the island, but lorangi made good weather of it. The launches Virginia, Gispa, Ruamano and the yacht Waitangi visited Kawau last week-end. The Sanders Cup winner, lona, was placed at the disposal of tho members of the Governor-General's family during their recent visit to Dunedin. Mr. Alf Wiseman, lona's veteran skipper, acted as instructor to the party. The Mark Toy System. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will hold a general handicap on Saturday for the Hardie trophy for keel yachts and class M. By way of a change the handicaps in the race for keel yachts will be given at the start, which will be conducted on the Mark Foy system. This means that the limit boat will start at the usual time and the others will be sent away in the order of their handicaps, the yachts' registered numbers being displayed from the wharf tower for one minute before starting time and lowered as a signal to start. Tho system has been tried years ago in various parts of the Dominion, and also in Australia, but it has not, proved a great success. However, the squadron has decided to give it a trial, and it remains to bo seen how it will turn out on Saturday. In the Akarana Yacht Club's race for class M last Saturday the opinion has been expressed that the course, which was a new one, was too long. lhe club would be well advised to revert to its usual harbour course for this class.